Bottle holder



April 4, 1944. E. L. ARNESON BOTTLE HOLDER Filed June 17, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l ENTOR.

INV

April 4, 1944. E. L. ARNESON BOTTLE HOLDER Filed June 17, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 INVENTOR. 1? (2204/4 Z (2/74650/ 4., MM,

April 4, 1944. E. L. ARNESON BOTTLE HOLDER Filed June 17, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Eda/Uzi Q/72650/Z, BY @www-l- -h r M April 19 4. E. ARNESON 2,345,565

BOTTLE HOLDER Filed June 17, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 g gf INVENTOR 17222002 L (227266072,

BY @wwwl My @2 Patented Apr. 4, 1944 Edwin L. Arneaon, Morris, 111., assignmto Morris Paper Mills, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 17, 1940, Serial No. 340,861

14 Claim.

This invention relates to bottle holders or carrier cartons of the type designed for the packaging and carrying of a plurality of bottles of beverage, or similar articles.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a device of this sort comprising a receptacle which may be manufactured very economically from paper board or similar material and which is of such nature that it may be packaged and shipped to the user in flat collapsed or knocked-down condition and may be set up by him quickly and easily without requiring any special machinery for that purpose or involving the use of additional fastenings, and which, in its set-up condition, is adapted to be loaded with bottles or similar articles very rapidly and easily and will retain them securely against falling out incident to the carrying and handling of the package, yet permit them to he removed from and put back into it, when desired, without involving anymutilation, dismantling or unfolding of any of its parts.

A particular object of the present invention is the provision of a bottle carrier having the attributes just specified and embodying features which will effectively prevent the bottles or contained articles from rubbing against one another in such fashion as to mar their finish.

Yet another object is the provision of a bottle carrier having the attributes above specified, and which in its set-up condition is very strong and sturdy and will hold its desired shape very effectively, either when empty or filled, and which occupies but only slightly greater area than its complement of bottles, thus permitting a plurality of the packages to be disposed in a case or tray of standard form and size designed for such bottles.

Yet another object is the provision of a bottle carrier possessing the attributes above specified and which is designed to permit the insertion and removal of any one or more of its complement of bottles without requiring removal or shifting of any of the others within it, thus qualifying it particularly to be filled by automatic apparatus, and which will retain all of the contained bottles securely even though its entire complement is not present.

Yet another object is the provision of a bottle carrier having the attributes above specified and which does not require a special holder or jig to secure it or hold it in the desired form for the filling operation.

Yet another object is the provision of a bottle holder having the attributes above specified and iii) which, while retaining all of its contained bottles securely, aflords a liberal display of them and provides also liberal unobstructed surface areas upon which the name of the commodity or other advertising matter may be prominently displayed.

A still further object is the provision of a bottle holder having the attributes above specifled and which is so constructed as to prevent any undesirable distortion of it under the weight of its contents when it is carried or pendulously supported by the handle at its top.

Other and further objects will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled'in the art upon an understanding of the invention or employment of it in use.

For the purpose of explaining the nature of the invention, 1 show in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and hereinafter described, various forms in which it may be embodied. It is to be understood, however, that these are presented merely for purpose of illustration and hence are not to be construed in any fashion for the purpose of limiting the appended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of theinventicn in the art.

In said drawings,

Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive serve to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, Fig. i being a plan or layout view oi the paper receptacle in the form in which it is cut from the sheet and supplied to the user; Fig. 2 being a perspective view of the same, showing parts in intermediate folded positions into which they are moved incident to the setting-up oi the device; Fig. 3 being a perspective view showing the device in its set-up condition; Fig. 4 being a side perspective view showing the set-up device filled with bottles; and Fig. 5 being an end elevational view of same;

' Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive illustrate a second embodiment of the invention, Fig. 6 being a layout view of the receptacle as originally cut; Fig. 7 being a top view of same in its fabricated condition and showing it An the collapsed or knocked-down form in which it is packaged and supplied to the user; Fig. 8 being a view showing the same in the course of being set up; and Fig. 9 being a perspective view of the completely assembled device;

Fig. 10 is a detail illustrating a modified construction which may be embodied in any of the various forms illustrated in the other figures;

Figs. 11 to 13 represent a third type of construction, 11 shoging the receptacle in its flat or laid-out form; Fig. 12 showing it in the courselof being set up; and Fig. 13 being a section through the upper part of the assembled device, taken approximately on line I3-l9 of Fig. 17, and on a larger scale; and

Figs. 14 to 18 inclusive illustrate a fourth type of construction which embodies various features shown in Figs. 1 to inclusive and various modifications, Fig. 14 being a plan or layout view of the paper board receptacle in its fiat condition;

'Fig. being a perspective view illustrating an form illustrated in Fig. 1 from suitable sheet material such as paper board'having the requisite strength and stiffness, and at the same time creased for folding into its set-up condition. It is formed with a bottom panel 29 having conjoined along one oi its side margins, on

crease line a, a side panel 2L. and this, in turn,

is conjoined with a second and identical side' panel 2| along a top crease line b. Along its bottom crease line 0 side panel 2| is conjoined with bottom locking flaps 22 and 22' which terminate in laterally directed locking hooks 24. At their lateral margins, which are defined by crease lines 41, the side panels are conjoined with wing flaps which are subdivided by diagonal or oblique fold creases e into end panels 28 and tuck sections 21, which latter, on respective sides of the side panels, remain connected at their upper ends along extensions of the top fold crease b. Small relieving holes 28 are formed at the intersections of fold creases b, d and e, and at a short distance inwardly from these intersections handle'holes 29 are provided on top crease line b. A lock slgt 30 is formed in bottom panel I for cooperation with the locking tongues 24.

In the embodiment here illustrated, which is designed for packaging six bottles, the width of the bottom panel 20 is such as to accommodate two of the contemplated bottles standing side therein bottom first. The middle bottle receiving aperture is defined by the ovoid slot 9| and tab fold crease f, thus forming a partition tab 32 which may be bent out of the plane of the panel along said fold crease. Each of the lateral bottle receiving apertures is defined by a curved slot 34 and side fold crease 9, thus to form in each of said apertures a partition tab 35 which may be swung out of the plane of the side panel along said fold crease. The middle bottle receiving aperture is thus separated from those at its opposite sides by the intervening portions 36 of the sheet in the plane of the side panel and to which the haters) partition tabs 35 remain joined along fold creases a. Diagonal relieving creases in are formed from the corner of the side panel to points on the slots 34 about midway between creases d and g.

A rigid preformed. handle is provided for the receptacle, same being made of wire or other suitable material and formed with a bail portion 91 having parallel leg portions 38 which terminate in journal portions 39 that extend toward each other in alignment. These journal portions are of size to enter endwise the handle holes 29, and the spacing of the leg portions 98 is the same as the spacing of said handle holes. In order to attach this handle to the receptacle shown 15 in Fig. 1, the latter is arched transversely from its fiat form so as to bring the handle holes 29 close enough to each other to permit the ends of the journal portions 39 to be inserted through them. Then the sheet is released from its arched 20 form, so that it is permitted to spring back to its flat form, which moves the handle holes 29 out to the leg portions 98. This secures the handle to the receptacle, with the journal portions 39 underlying parts of it along the top crease b for a distance inwardly from the handle holes 29.

The receptacle is then set up by bending the wing flaps inwardly on fold creases d and e, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2, and swinging one of the side panels toward the other along 80 the top fold crease b. The bottom panel 20 is folded inwardly along fold crease a and the bottom flaps 22 are folded inwardly along fold crease c. The outer margin of bottom panel 20 is positioned along fold crease c and flaps 22 and 22' are overlapped one upon the other and pressed toward each other until the noses of the hooks 26 are close enough together to permit their being inserted through slot 30 from the under side of the bottom panel 26. After being 40 so inserted to their throats, they are released and spring outwardly, thus locking the flaps 22 and 22 to the bottom panel and securing the bottom of side panel 2! along the outer margin of the bottom panel.

This sets up the device with the side panels in anti-clinal relationship to each other, the and panels 25 assuming upright positions at the ends of the bottom panel 29, and the tuck sections 2? extending inwardly over the bottom panel approximately midway the side panels. By virture of the fact that the two tuck sections at each end remain connected to each other at their tops, they efiectively resist pressures which tend to force the end panels outwardly, and also cause the end panels to cooperate with each other in that regard. Because of such connection, the tuck. sections also have increased vertical stiffening effect on the end panels.

For filling the device with bottles of beverage or similar articles for which it is designed, the articles are inserted bottom first through the bottle receiving apertures either simultaneously or in any desired order or sequence. The articles thus inserted into the middle bottle receiving apertures swing the partition tabs 32 inwardly, and the articles inserted into the lateral bottle receiving apertures swing the lateral partltion tabs 35 inwardly along the fold creases g to positions between those bottles and those inserted in the middle bottle receiving apertures. Thus the receptacle is effectively compartmented by said partition tabs and the tuck sections 21. The tuck sections 21 form separators between the opposite bottles in the lateral apertures, the tabs 32 form separators between the opposite Since the distance between the side panels is crease b'. The panels are provided with handle holes 28 and 29' on their fold creases b, and the bottom panel 20 is'provided with slots 43 on its medial line. the outer ends of said slots being spaced from each other the same distance as are the handle holes of a panel, saidslots 43 being less at the bottom of the bottle receiving apertures than it is at the bottom panel 20, the lower portions of the side panels are caused to bulge somewhat by the contained bottles. 7 ing creases h permit the side panels'to conform somewhat to the bottles, and thus relieve all of the side panel structure of stresses tending to tear or break the material.; Qne manner in which they accomplish this is by permitting the lower portions of the end panels to be drawn inward slightly as the portions'of the side panels below the bottle apertures are pressed outwardly.

The result is that each individual bottle is definitely gripped and held in its respective position and retained securely in the receptacle. The bottles cooperate with one another in this regard, as those in the opposite rows exert pressure on one another through the medium of the interposed separator tabs and tuck sections. Consequently. although the greater proportion of the outer sides of the bottles may be exposed to view, the package may be carried with safety and assurance against any of the bottles falling out, and even though some of them may be removed, those remaining will be securely retained. Any bottle may be put in or removed without necessitating the shifting of any of the others, and all may be put in simultaneously, thus qualifying the device to be loaded by use of automatic apparatus.

Packages thus formed are very-convenient for disposal in trays or cases containing a plurality of same, and when so packed, the bottles in juxtaposed holders are prevented from rubbing against one another by virtue of the fact that the receptacles hold them apart, as indicated in Fig. 5 by the vertical dot-and-dash line which indicates the location of the vertical plane between juxtaposed receptacles. Furthermore, these packages are adapted to be stacked one upon another, inasmuch as the handle may be moved down to lowered position, as indicated in Fig. 5, by sliding its leg portions 38 downwardly through the handle holes, thus permitting the superimposed package to be set upon the tops of the bottles in the subjacent one.

The modified construction illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive embodies substantially all of the features above described, and corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals as are used in the foregoing description of such parts.

Inthis construction, however, the relative arrangement of the panels in the layout is different, the bottom panel being conjoined to the bottom ends of the respective side panels 2i and 2i along fold creases it. Each of the wing flaps is originally formed in two sections, each section comprising an end panel 26 and a tuck section 27. The side panels, moreover, are formed with collapsing fold creases m running parallel with the fold creases k and disposed midway between the medial line of the bottom panel and top fold creases b of the respective side panels, and said side panels are provided with terminal tabs 40 and 4| extending beyond said fold creases b, and the wing flaps on one of the side panels are also The reliev-' substantially the same length as the journal portions 39 of the handle. The bottle apertures and separator tabs in this construction may be substantially the same1as-those in the form above described, excepting that they are cut oil at their bottoms so as not to extend beyond the collapsing provided with terminal tabs 42 beyond the told fold creases m.

After being die out out the sheet in the form shown in Fig. 6, this receptacle is further fabricated in the factory by folding the upper portions of the side panels inwardly toward each other along the collapsing fold creases m, which brings the terminal tabs 4| and 42 onto the outer sides of the opposite side panel and wing flap sections as illustrated in Fig. 7. Said terminal tabs 4| and 42 are then permanently secured to the other side panel portions which they overlap, as by means of adhesive which may be applied to said tabs in the areas marked with stippling in Fig. 6. With the parts thus folded the handle holes 29' are in overlying register with the handle holes 29 and over the outer end portions of the slots 43. The receptacle is thus completed in a flat collapsed orknocked-down condition, illustrated in Fig. 7, and in this condition is packaged and delivered to the user.

To set up the receptacle from this collapsed condition, it is first arched transversely so as to bring the handle holes close enough to each other to permit insertion of the journal portions of the handle as above described, the slots 43 permitting passage of the journal portions in this operation. In Fig. 8 the device is illustrated with the handle thus attached and after the setting-up operation has been further continued by folding the tuck sections inwardly on the oblique fold creases e, as by inward pressure applied in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 8. The tops of the conjoined side panels are then drawn away from the bottom panel and the end wall panels 26 are swung inwardly along the creases d until the side panels are straightened and the receptaole assumes the fully set-up form illustrated in Fig. 9. When thus set up the device is in condition to be filled with articles in the fashion above described, the various separator tabs and flaps functioning in the same fashions as above explained.

The modified construction illustrated in Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive embodies many of the features which are above described, and the various parts of which features are designated by the same reference characters. In this construction, however, the handle is formed as a part of the paper board sheet which, as illustrated in Fig. 11, has the bottom panel 20 at one end and the connecting flaps 22 and hooks 2d at the other end, with the side panels 5| and 5t intervening and connected at their upper ends along the top fold crease b In this construction the side panels are somewhat longer than in the forms above described and between the bottle receiving apertures and top fold crease they are formed with handle apertures 44, the flap 45 in one of said apertures being left conjoined along a fold crease p. The wing flaps which are formed along the sides of the side" panels are alsolonger than in the other constructions and are subdivided by diagonal fold creases s into end panels 54 and tuck sections 55. The width of the wing flaps is such that the upper ends of the tuck sections extend inwardly beyond the adjacent ends of the handle apertures Us when the tuck sections are folded inwardly, and the tuck sections are notched to provide lugs 56 that are bisected by the top fold crease b'. The bottle receiving apertures with their partition tabs may be of the forms above described.

This receptacle may be set up in very much the same manner as above explained, and which is illustrated in part in Fig. 12, the tuck sections 55 being folded inwardly on fold creases s and the end panels 54 on fold creases (1 while one of the side panels is swung toward the other on the top fold crease b. The bottom panel 20 and flaps 22 are folded inwardly and brought together as above described and fastened together by engagement of hooks N in slot at, as above explained, the receptacle thus being brought to the tent-like form which characterizes the other constructions. Inthe folding of the tuck sections 55 together, the lugs 56 are likewise folded and they reach positions above the outer end portions of the handle apertures M. The handle tab 45 is then flexed inwardly under the lugs 56 and through the opposite handle aperture to a disposal illustrated approximately in Fig. 13. Thus the handle tab 45 and the parts above the hendle holes, together with the lugs 56, form a handle which may be grasped by inserting the fingers through the handle holes. In this handle construction the tab 45 and lugs 56 serve to support some of the weight transmitted through the end panels 5% and tuck'sections 55, and thus serve to relieve the material above the handle holes of some of the stress. Moreover, the engagement of the handle tab $5 with the tuck sections affords the end panels additional retention against swinging outwardly.

This bottle carrier may be filled and emptied and otherwise utilized in substantially th same fashions as the other forms above described, except as to stacking.

In the further modified construction illustrated in Figs. 14 to 18 inclusive, the receptacle is substantially the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive in all particulars excepting the bottle receiving apertures and their partition. tabs, and corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters. In the form of construction here illustrated, however, each side panel is formed with a single bottle aperture which extends across its entire width, said apertures being defined by the continuous outline slots 60 and tab fold creases t. The tab which is thus partially severed from the side panel and occupies the bottle aperture in the flat condition of the receptacle is itself further subdivided into three sections of approximately equal width by slots BI and fold creases 62, thus providing a middle partition tab 64 and two lateral partition tabs 85 which may be bent on fold creases 62 into right angular relationship to the middle partition tab 84.

This receptable may be set up in just the same fashion as the one illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and, in general, operates to like efiect, the in-folded tuck sections 27 forming separators between the oppositely disposed end bottles and the middle partition tabs 64 forming separators between the middle bottles. In order to separate the middle bottles from those at opposite sides of them, the lateral partition tabs 65 are swung outwardly to approximately right angles to their conjoined middle tabs 64, thus placing them in the positions illustrated in Fig. 1'7. If it is not desired to separate the three bottles of the row, the tabs 65 may be left in the plane of tabs 64, in which disposal they contact the end panels 26 and serve to brace them apart.

In Fig. 10 is illustrated a modified manner in which the partition tabs of the side panels may be formed. Here the lateral bottle receiving apertures are defined by the slots 10 and top fold creases II, along which fold creases the lateral partition tabs 12 remain connected with the side panel. The middle bottle receiving aperture is defined. by slot 14 and fold creases l5 and I6 and the materal within the area so defined is subdivided by slots 11 and 78 to form partition tabs l9 and -80. Partition tabs '52 and 19 are thus adapted to be swung inwardly from the side panel along creases H so that said tabs will form separators between the opposite bottles of the two rows, and tabs 80 are adapted to be swung inwardly on creases 16 to form separators between the middle bottle and those at opposite sides of it in the same row. Such deflection of the tabs Bil may cause the narrow side panel portions at opposite sides of the middle bottle receiving aperture to be bulged outwardly somewhat, due to the changing direction of the fold creases it, and the relieving creases M are provided in the tabs 81] to ermit those tabs to conform readily to the surface contour of the middle bottle and lessen the bulging effect on the side panels. This modified arrangement of partition tabs may be emplayed in any of the various constructions described above. It will be appreciated that the receptacle may be made for any feasible number of bottles, twelve for example, in two rows of six each, and efiectively compartmented by means of this construction so that juxtaposed bottles cannot rub against each other, by providing alternate bottle receiving apertures of the row with a multiple tab construction such as here illustrated in the middle bottle aperture and providing the others with top hinged tabs like tabs '12.

A distinct advantage of the various constructions above described resides in the fact that the form of bottle carrier is very stifi vertically when in set -up condition. This greatly facilitates the handling of the bottle carriers on the filling line, and also greatly facilitates the loading of the bottles into them. In addition, it gives the package increased stability and contributes very materially to the secure retention of the bottles. It retains its fully set-up condition after the bottles are removed, thus influencing the consumer to save it for use in returning the empty bottles and giving the bottler opportunity for re-use of it repeatedly.

What I claim is:

1. A knock-down carrier carton comprising a receptacle formed of paper board or the like shaped and creased to provide a bottom panel and two side panels which have their upper ends flexibly connected along a transverse fold line, and wing flaps extending along the lateral margins of the side panels and flexible to angular relationship thereto, the wing flaps which are at the adjacent margins of the side panels being directly connected at their upper ends along transverse fold lines on which they may be swung toward and from each other and the wing flaps being provided with fold.- creases extending obliquely across them from their upper inner margins adjacent said last mentioned fold lines and marking said flaps off into end panels and tuck sections which are flexible to angular relationship, said receptacle being provided at its upper end with a' handle whereby it may be carried.

wherein the side panels are provided with bottlereceiving apertures through which bottles may be introduced bottom flrst.

4. A carrier carton as specified in claim 1 and wherein the handle has portions engaged under upper end portions of the side panels for supporting the receptacle pendulously.

5. Acarriercartonasspecifiedinclaim land wherein the side panels and wing flaps are provided with transverse told creases along which they may be folded upon themselves to flatten the receptacle.

6. A carrier carton as specified in claim 1 and wherein one or the side pahelshas its lower end integrally connected to one margin or the bottom panel and the other side panel is provided with means for securing its lower end in position at the opposite margin oi the bottom panel.

7. Acarriercartonasspecifledinclaim 1 and wherein the handle is formed as a part of the side panels and has a portion adapted for supassases and wherein each side panel is provided with a plurality of bottle receiving apertures each of size to accommodate only a single one of the bottles for which the carrier is designed and the. outermost apertures extend to the lateral limits of the side panels.

13. A carrier carton comprising a sheet of paper board or the like shaped and creased to provide a bottom, panel and two side panels which have their upper end portions flexibly connected and formed to provide a handle, and wing flaps extending along lateral margins of the side panels and flexible to angular relationship thereto to form end panels between the side panels and having portions foldable inwardly from said end panels to positions over the bottom' panel intermediate the side panels, said handle including a portion suuportingly engageable with said inwardly extending portions between the side panels to sustain the end panels and retain them against swinging outwardly.

14. A knock-down bottle carrier for packaging a plurality of bottles or the like, comprising a sheet of paper board out and creased to provide a bottom panel of size to accommodate a plurality of the intended bottles standing thereporting engagement with the wing flaps between the side P311818.

8. A carrier carton as specified in claim 1 and wherein the handle is termed in part from a portion or a side panel and has a portion arranged for supporting engagement with the upper ends of the tuck sections between the side panels.

9. A carrier carton as specifled in claim 1 and wherein the side panels have their lower ends integrally and flexibly connected to respective side margins of the bottom panel. 10. A'carrier carton as specified in claim 1 and wherein the side panels have their lower ends integrally and flexibly connected to respective side margins of the bottom panel and the side panels and wing-flaps are provided with fold creases along which they may be folded upon themselves to collapse the device to flattened form.

11. A carrier carton as specified in claim 1 and wherein each side panel is provided with a pinrality of bottle receiving apertures each oi size to accommodate only a single one oi the bottles for which the carrier is designed.

12. A carrier carton as specified in claim 1 on in two rows and a pair of side panels flexibly connected to each other at their upper ends, and wing flaps flexibly connected to the side panels along told lines defining the lateral margins thereof, the wing flaps which are at the same side'oi the sheet being flexibly connected to each other along transverse fold lines which are approximately in alignment with the upper ends of the side panels, the wing flaps being provided also with told creases extending obliquely from adjacent the upper comers of the side panels of end panels; the side panels being providedwith bottle-receiving apertures which are located between the opposite wing flaps and spaced from the upper and lower ends of the side panels. said-- bottle-receiving apertures being of size to permit introduction of the intended bottles bottoms first.

EDWIN L. ARNEBON. 

